Friday, February 09, 2007

Tuna on Gluten-Free "Rye" Bread

Last Friday I came home to a FedEx package from Enjoy Life Foods waiting on the porch. That sure was a great way to start shabbos! The company made a very smart PR move by sending product samples to a couple of us gluten-free bloggers.

I was skeptical about Enjoy Life Foods Rye-less Rye Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread because I have had mostly negative experiences with Enjoy Life products in the past. I find their chocolate chips to be undersized, chalky, and practically unmeltable... And in my opinion, their cookies do not deserve to be called "cookies." I was also skeptical because of my high standards for rye bread. As a New York Jew I grew up eating a lot of Jewish rye bread. My favorite sandwiches in high school were melted cheddar cheese on Jewish rye, hummus on Jewish rye, or tuna salad on Jewish rye. It was a sad day when I learned that rye contained gluten, and therefore was one more grain I could no longer eat. Back when I was eating gluten I liked my rye bread to have a chewy crust and a soft, squishy center. Most importantly, it must be full of whole caraway seeds. Since becoming gluten-free, my standards for bread have certainly become less strict. But I was pleasantly surprised! Though certainly not the "real thing," the Rye-less "Rye" Bread came a heck of a lot closer to what I remembered than I ever would have expected or imagined. It had the perfect amount of caraway seeds. When well-toasted (careful, because it goes from well-toasted to charred very quickly!) it had a really nice texture and is actually one of the better gluten-free storebought breads I've tasted. It unfortunately does not have the chewy, shiny crust that I associate with rye bread, but I really enjoyed the taste. I can't begin to tell you the joy I felt eating my first tuna on "rye" sandwich in eons.

I'll write about some of Enjoy Life's other allergen-free products (which can be purchased here) at a later date. For now, let me leave you with a recipe for my favorite tuna salad. This is a reduced-fat tuna salad that tastes wonderful on rye bread, real or fake. My favorite way to serve this sandwich is on toasted bread with a slice of tomato, a slice of avocado and some lettuce. A pickle on the side, of course. The chopped pickles and dill are key to the fabulous taste - The more sour the pickles the better (cornichons are great for this). You can try substiting a smaller amount of dried dill if you don't have access to fresh herbs.

Drain tuna. With a fork, break it up in a bowl into the size and texture you prefer (I like to leave some chunks - others prefer it totally mashed). Add all the other ingredients and stir until fully combined. Serve cold in a sandwich or over a green salad.

Hey, where's my rye bread? I didn't get any in my sample kit. Bummer. You make it sound worth trying for sure. The sandwich looks great.

Laura has made me some homemade rye breads that are pretty darn good, so I'll probably stick with that - and pumpernickel too, which has that caraway flavor (the recipe is on my blog). I rarely buy pre-made breads, because prior experience has convinced me not to. But, I will try that E-L Rye now just to see what it's like. If not close enough to homemade, I'll just not by it again.

Mike - I got bread because I specifically requested it because it's the only of their products I can eat since I don't eat refined sugar. So they just sent me bread and bagels, no sweet treats or cereal. I'm not a fan of pumpernickel, oddly enough. I don't know that I'd chose EL breads over a homemade bread - I would bet you can do better at home.

Oh you've inspired me! I love rye bread wholeheartedly, but with my hubby being Celiac, I feel so shameful eating any bread with gluten, b/c that's what he misses most. I am going to check out Enjoy Life today and possibly order some. Thanks for the info!Julie :)www.gluten-freegourmet.blogspot.com

Regarding non-rye rye bread, in the area around Chicago, I buy Cybros brand 'rye' rolls & 'rye' bread. I keep them in the freezer, & when toasted, they're terrific. (Good, crusty rye bread is the #1 thing I miss with a GF diet.)